The distribution and abundance of land snails in the National Park of American Samoa, with particular focus on Partulidae

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1999-10
Authors
Cowie, Robert H.
Cook, Robert P.
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Cooperative National Parks Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Botany
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Abstract
The native land snail faunas of Pacific islands are highly diverse and exhibit high levels of endemism. However, they are under serious threat from habitat destruction, predation by non-native predators, and competition from introduced alien species. Notably threatened are the highly publicized tree snails in the family Partulidae. The National Park of American Samoa contains a significant proportion of the remaining relatively pristine native forest in American Samoa and, as habitat alteration continues outside the Park, forest protected inside the Park will take on greater value. Because of this, the Park's is potentially an important refuge for threatened native land snails. Prior to the survey reported here, however, little was known about the Park's snail fauna: which species were present, how abundant they were, where did they occur within the Park. Surveys were therefore undertaken (March, May, October, 1998) to ascertain the distribution and abundance of all species of land snails (and slugs) present in all three units (Tutuila, Taii, Oh) of the Park. All land snail and slug species, native and alien, were recorded, but with particular effort focused on the partulid tree snails. Of the 42 previously known native land snail species in American Samoa, the survey recorded 18 species, plus two unidentified species that probably belong in this category. Also recorded were 11 non-native species and three cryptogenic species that had been previously recorded in American Samoa. In addition, five previously unrecorded native species (including two undescribed) were found, and four non-native species were recorded for the first time.
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Keywords
National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa), Partulidae -- American Samoa., Partulidae -- Samoan Islands., Snails -- American Samoa., Snails -- Samoan Islands.
Citation
Cowie RH, Cook RP. 1999. The distribution and abundance of land snails in the National Park of American Samoa, with particular focus on Partulidae. Honolulu (HI): Cooperative National Parks Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Botany. PCSU Technical Report, 125.
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